Cabinetmaker at Colonial Williamsburg

Visiting this site is like taking a trip in a time machine. Learn how Colonial Virgina masters of the craft built furniture – from the rough lumber do the expertly crafted pieces that grace the homes in this painstakingly restored living history museum campus.

In a recreation of Anthony Hay’s cabinet shop (he was one of the original craftsmen at Williamsburg), watch today’s craftsmen explain the cabinetmaking trade to visitors as they produce furniture with the tools and designs of the era. Today the shop also practices the trade of harpsichord making, documented as part of the shops offerings in 1767. This was a unique service from a colonial Virginia shop; harpsichords were typically English imports in the South.

Beyond the wood shop, Colonial Williamsburg is a great place to discover how the colonists in tidewater Virginia lived day-to-day.  Definitely worth the trip.